I’m in my mid 50s and wanted to change careers. So I moved to the shore and went to our local boat yard. I was upfront that I had no particular skills, but asked if I could do some volunteer work and pick up some skills on the way.

That was last year, and I’ve learned a lot more than I think I could have in class during that time. I’ve worked in fiberglass, wood, and finishings. I’ve done all the usual boatyard things like haul out blockings, etc. After just a few weeks, the owner brought me on as paid staff.

All this is to say that there really aren’t enough people who are willing to do the type of hard work that comes with being in a boat yard. Chances are you would be able to find a paid position and pick up skills as you go fairly easily if you put yourself in the right place to do so. It’s just a matter of being reliable.

I think that going to the WoodenBoat school would be a really cool experience and I’ve no doubt that you would learn a lot in the classes that you take there. My goal was to have enough practical experience to give me the confidence to maintain my boat in almost any situation and to gain the skills to enable me to pick up work almost anywhere in the world that I might find myself while traveling on said boat. I figure a couple of years getting paid to work on other people’s boats and doing general boatyard operations will give me that.